The powerful feelings expressed in the poetry, songs, diaries and interviews about the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign have been set to music by Dunedin composer Anthony Ritchie. Rebecca Fox finds out how the group of songs came together.
One hundred years on, the power of people's experiences around the Gallipoli campaign still draw artists in.
In this case it was former Dunedin opera singer Robert Tucker who approached University of Otago Associate Prof Anthony Ritchie to compose a ''song cycle'' (group of individual songs related to each other) to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign.
''I thought it would be a very nice way to commemorate the event. I wanted to do a song cycle because I think it is a very intimate and intense art form for singers.''
While Mr Tucker, who is now based in Blenheim, did not have any relatives who fought at Gallipoli, he had a great-grandfather who fought on the Somme.
''I don't think you can come from New Zealand or Australia without having some sort of deep connection with Gallipoli and its place in our countries' history.''
He went to Prof Ritchie because he had worked with him in the past on his opera God Boy.
''I really enjoy his music. He is very skilled at setting words to music, especially prose.''
Prof Ritchie said that when Mr Tucker approached him, some text came to mind to base the song cycle on.
He then called on Anzac historian Chris Pugsley, who dug out some poems and diary entries that fitted the bill.
''I found once I got into it, I was pulled along by the words, which were so powerful. I felt quite driven through the whole piece.''
So, using extracts from poems, songs, diaries and interviews, he wove a song cycle showcasing the perspectives of eye witnesses, anxious mothers, officers in command and poets looking back on the campaign.
It was broken down into three parts. The first focused on before Gallipoli, with the sense of optimism and adventure shining through, and the second on the campaign itself. The third, featuring words taken from the Ataturk Memorial in Turkey, was a reconciliation of the two sides who took part in the conflict.
At the heart of the cycle was a setting of the poem Anzac, by Trooper Argyle Campbell, which Mr Tucker was keen to see included.
''We used the text of a popular song to give the flavour of the era.''
The pair worked together on the piece, trying things out as Prof Ritchie developed the work.
Prof Ritchie hoped audiences would be moved by his work but he was aware there was an awful lot being produced about Gallipoli around the commemoration.
''I'd like to think this added something people have not experienced before.''
Mr Tucker's baritone sound would carry the song very well, as would Terence Dennis' accompaniment on piano.
He admitted to being a bit of a ''control freak'' until he got the 31-minute piece exactly right and handed it over.
Mr Tucker said Prof Ritchie made the diary entries that were used seem ''very natural and flowing''.
''I think the finished product is a beautiful and powerful work of art and I am looking forward to performing it in a few weeks' time.''
The performance at Marama Hall will also be filmed by the New Zealand Centre for Music and Mr Tucker will perform it in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland later this year.
The work was made possible by the financial assistance of the University of Otago.
